Base not recognizing USB devices. Keeps disconnecting/timing out. Showing error "USB < 16 GB"

[RCS51]

I Have wasted over two hours on the Arlo Chat,  keeps disconnecting, timing out and no one seems to know anything.  I have received emails that give me case numbers.  When I respond their response is quite generic even after I have in detail delineated the problem.

Basically after the USB devices working all along, lately I get the error messages below.  On top of that the safely eject USB device option will not respond.  The format USB device option is shadowed and not responsive.  As you can see the storage available is large.  Also the USB devices are not defective because  they work on my computer and they are FAT formatted.   Please advice because Arlo is either inefficient or they don't care.

Error: USB < 16GB

Available Storage

242.24 MB of 242.27 MB

Safely Eject USB DeviceFormat USB Device

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

The error message you provided says it all: USB < 16GB. Use a drive that's AT LEAST 16GB and you will eliminate the problem.

[geomann41]

Wait. The 8 GB thumb drive I have been using for over 2 years is suddenly no good? Why? 

[geomann41]

VersionVMB4000r3 1.16.2.5_3508_62dfaa0

Worse - I found this out when I went to download some videos. They weren't local - the Arlo just decided to stop recording locally, perhaps after a firmware update. So no error message, no email warning, no notification in the app at all. Found out when I needed it. Luckily one of the videos was in the cloud storage. 

This is a bad experience. Very disappointed. 

[RCS51]

Yes, my computer would recognize the USB device.  The problem was that apparently Arlo had a firmware change and as a result of that the base would not recognize any USB devices below 16GB.    I found out by connecting a 32 GB USB device and the database recognized it, etc.  What bothers me is that after literally more than 3 hours chatting with Arlo customer service twice and loosing connection no one new what was going on.  Emails to Arlo useless.  So  basically their customer service was useless in my case.  

[RCS51]

Seems like as a  result of firmware change the base will only recognize USB devices over 16GB.  Wish they had share that piece of information.  I wasted 4 hours and two cgat sessions.  By the way their customer service knew nothing, had no knowledge as to why I was having problems, etc.  Based on this experience and other times after one year yo are on your own.  Will not further expand this system.  Wyze just came with and outdoor camera which I will be trying out.

[RCS51]

After wasting 3 hours with their chat (they had no idea what was going on).  It appears that recently on update their base only recognizes USB devices over 16GB now.  Thanks Arlo for not notifying customers.  I connected a 32GB USB device and it works.  Yes, I had been using lower memory USB devices for two yrs and they worked fine.

[geomann41]

That's very bad, and sad. I hope Arlo Product Managers read these forums and take action to create better error messages and notifications.

[RCS51]

If they do they don't care because no one has responded.  Initially they did with a case number, when I responded was told case number had been closed.  So it became a dog chasing its tail situation.